The Supreme Court of Venezuela, allied to the government, confirmed this Friday the 26th the 15year ban of the opposition leader Henry Caprileswho was a presidential candidate twice.
Capriles in 2017 challenged the sanction imposed for alleged administrative irregularities when he was governor of Miranda. The decision was confirmed after the opponent's challenge was deemed “unfounded” as it fell outside the requirements set out and required by the Barbados Agreement signed on October 17, 2023.
The Supreme Court will also issue an opinion on the inadmissibility of this Friday Maria Corina Machadowho received widespread support in a primary election last October that confirmed her as the opposition's presidential candidate in elections for which a date has not yet been set.
However, she remains technically ineligible to vote due to alleged corruption and support for sanctions against Caracas.
Capriles also ran in the opposition primaries, but was eliminated in favor of Machado. He was seen as a possible replacement if she was barred from running.
Maduro's government and the opposition agreed in talks in Barbados last year to hold free and fair elections in 2024 with international observers present.
That agreement led the United States to ease sanctions on Venezuela, allowing Chevron to resume limited oil production to keep world prices low while the West imposed sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine.